Improvement in combination-locks



N. FRIEDMAN.

COMBINATION LOCK.

Patented Aug. 8,1876.

NHFHER. PNOTO-UTNOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D Q

UN TEn-TSTATESJ PATENT QFFIOE.

1 NATHAN FRIEDMAN, 0E oHioAeo, "ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CAROLINE FRIEDMAN,OF SAME PLAoE.

iIN IPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,758, dated August8, 1876; application filed May24, 1376.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN FRIEDMAN, of Chicago, in the countyv of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented :newand useful Improvements inCombination-Locks; and I do hereby-declare the following'to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the .art to which my invention appertains to make and. use the same,reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 represents a front view ofacombination-lock embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a frontelevation of the same with front plate removed, and Fig. 3 represents atransverse sectional elevation of the same, taken on the line as asdrawn through Fig. 2. j

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention relates to that-class of combination-locks employingnotched tumblers, and a graduated index-plate for regulating anddetermining the position of the tumblers with relation to each other, soas to operate the latch; and my invention consists in the combinationand arrangement of the several .parts of the lock, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawing, A represents the case of the lock, and B a section ofthe door, to which the caseis attached in the usual manner. 0 is theoperating spindle, loosely fitted within an annular sleeve, a, attachedto, or made apart of, the inner wall of the lock-case, and extendingthrough the door, as shown in Fig. 3, and from the door adistance-sufiicient to form a knob, by which the same may be rotated.The spindle 0 passes through the door and lockcase, andis provided withan annular indexplate, D, which bears against the outer face of thedoor, and is secured within the door and lock-case by a set-screw, d,passing into the end of the spindle, and adjusted to bear against theinner wall of the case. E is the latch, which is pivoted to the innerside of the inner wall of the case, and so adjusted as to admit of afree and easy tilting movement. The latch is provided on its upper'surface with a lug, e, which extends through a mortise in the edge ofthe case, and is so adjusted as to pass into the lock-catch attached tothe jamb-casing of the door when the latch is at the limit of its upwardmovement. F and G G are the tumblers, each of which consists of anannular disk of thin metal. The said tumblers are loosely fitted withinan annular rim, H, which is permanently secured to the inner wall of thecase, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the tumblers is provided with a notch,f, formed in its periphery, and so adjusted as to receive a dependingcatch, f, on the latch, when the respective tumblers are turned to theproper position to bring the notches in line with each other, andimmediately under the catch. J J are sheet-metal washers, which areloosely fitted within the rim H, between the respective tumblers, bywhich means the tumblers are prevented from coming in contact with eachother. The spindle O is provided with a collar or flange, g, rigidlysecured thereon, and so as to be in the same plane with the tumbler F,as shown in Fig. 3. The diameter of the said collar is such as to allowit to pass loosely through the sleeve when the spindle is being adjustedwithin the case, and the periphery of the collar is serratedtransversely across its face, as shown in Fig. 2, and adapted to fit acorresponding serrated aperture formed centrally through tumbler F, bywhich means the tumbler F and spindle are connected, and so as torevolve together. The object of connecting the spindle to the operatingtumbler F by means of the serrated collar is to prevent the spindle frommoving independently of the tumbler, thereby insuring a positivemovement of the tumbler when the spindle is rotated, and at the sametime allow the spindle to be readily removed and readjusted withoutchanging the position of the tumbler. The operating tumbler F isprovided with an adjusting-pin, It, which passes loosely through anannular mortise, h, formed in the' respective tumblers G and G, as shownin Fig. 3. The mortise in tumbler G exceeds in length the mortise intumbler G, as shown, and the arrangement of said mortises, relative tothe adjusting-pin k, is such as to allow the tumbler F to make part of arevolution in either direction, when the notches in the tumblers are inline, before the pin is brought in contact with tumbler G at the end ofthe mortise, and to allow said tumbler F and the tumbler G to make afurther revolution before the pin is brought in contact with tumbler Gat the end of the mortise, by which means the respective tumblers aremoved to bring the notches into or out of line with each other, andunder the catch j, by the rotation of the spindle.

The face of the index-plate is provided with a series of figuresarranged at graduated distances each from the other, as shown in Fig. 1.K is an annular ring permanently secured to the door around theindex-plate, and is provided with an index-line, '5, arranged in thesame vertical plane with the center of the spindle.

The tumblers G and G have each a hole, n, formed through them betweenthe spindle and mortise, and in a line with the center of notch f andthe spindle, and arranged in the same plane with a corresponding hole,n, formed through the inner wall of the case when the respectivetumblers are turned to the proper position to bring the notches fimmediately under catch f. The washers J J are cutaway at the upperside, and their ends bent outward against the ends of rim H, so as toprevent them from turning with the tumblers, and from coming in contactwith the latch when the notches f are in line with each other.Permanently attached to the latch is a spring, m, which is adapted'tobear against the edge of the lock-case, and forces the latch downward,so as to cause the catch to enter the notches in the tumblers when theyare in line. To arrange the notches in the tumblers in line with eachother, a suitable metal pin is inserted into the opening n inthelock-case, and pressed against the tumbler, G. The spindle is thenturned in either direction until the pin enters the opening 'n intumbler G. The spindle is then turned in the opposite direction untilthe pin enters the hole or opening n in tumbler G, when the movement ofthe spindle is reversed until the catch drops into the notches in thetumblers.

The combination on which the lock is set is ascertained by noting thefigure on the index-plate which is immediately under the index-line inthe ring K at the time the pin enters each hole in the tumblers duringthe operation as above described. In order to change thecombination, thespindle is withdrawn from case sufiiciently to relieve collar g fromtumbler F, by removing the set-screw in the end of the spindle, when thespindle is turned partly around and readjusted to the tumbler, theoperator noting the figure which is immediately under the index-line inthe ring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let.- ters Patent, is

The combination, with the tumblers F, G, and G, the tumbler F having thepink adjusted to pass through the annular mortises h in the tumblers Gand G, and the open washers J J arranged between the tumblers, asdescribed, of the spindle O journaled within sleeve a, and provided withthe collar g, serrated externally, and adjusted within the ser: ratedaperture formed centrally through tumbler F, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

NATHAN FRIEDMAN.

Witnesses N. G. GRIDLEY, N. GowLEs.

